Hokies Football: Virginia Tech Starting Quarterback Battle Odds

Fall practice is looming for the Virginia Tech Hokies after a spring practice that was full of significant progress, especially on the offensive side of the football. The offense started to gel a lot more this spring with progress all over the field from the offensive line to the skill positions.

The Hokies’ quarterback battle also cleared up some as Andrew Ford and Chris Durkin both fell out of the hunt quickly. Meanwhile, Michael Brewer had a very strong spring and has put some distance on Brenden Motley with his strong performance this spring.

However, this quarterback battle is far from over with Dwayne Lawson arriving on campus now to begin summer classes, and make a summer push to take the starting job from Brewer. Motley also still has a decent chance of earning the starting quarterback job despite losing ground on Brewer this spring.

So, what are the percent odds of each of these players earning the starting quarterback job?

Michael Brewer: 60%

After a strong spring, Michael Brewer has emerged as the favorite to retain his spot as the starting quarterback. Brewer looked like a player who had a much stronger grasp of the playbook that should only continue to grow over the offseason and into the fall.

One of the biggest issues with Brewer last season was that he struggled to get enough arc onto many deep passes or jump-ball passes. This past spring, Brewer improved the arc on his passes, which will only make athletic tight ends Bucky Hodges and Kalvin Cline more dangerous in the red zone.

Brewer looked very comfortable and effective in the offense this past spring. If that continues during fall practice, Brewer should almost certainly win the starting job while also giving Virginia Tech the passing game that can get the Hokies back to double-digit win seasons.

Dwayne Lawson: 25%

Dwayne Lawson might technically be the unknown in this quarterback battle, but he is the future under center for the Hokies. Lawson was one of the top commits from the Class of 2015 for Virginia Tech and has not only looked impressive on tape, but also in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl.

The biggest thing that hurts Lawson’s chances is the fact that he is just arriving on campus this summer and will only have had a month of practice in a new system. Otherwise, Lawson has the talent as a passer and runner to be a game changer that can be one of the best quarterbacks of the Frank Beamer era.

Lawson could also end up in a similar situation to what Tyrod Taylor was in at the beginning of his Virginia Tech career behind Sean Glennon. If Brewer struggles even a little after a few games, the Hokies might be very quick to make a quarterback change to Lawson.

Brenden Motley: 15%

Brenden Motley has become the big underdog in the Hokies’ starting quarterback battle, but the Christiansburg, Virginia native will not go down without a fight. Last year, Motley missed the first two weeks of fall practice with a back injury and never had a chance to get back into the starting quarterback battle.

Motley is entering this fall healthy, while also bringin some limited experience from late in the 2014 season as the “Wild Turkey” quarterback. Motley has the speed to run the read option, which Scot Loeffler commonly used with him in scrimmages this spring.

Even if Motley doesn’t win the starting quarterback, don’t be surprised if Loeffler uses some read option with Motley as quarterback out of the “Wild Turkey” offense. However, Motley could lose the opportunity to be the Hokies’ starting quarterback if he falls behind Lawson on the depth chart